A married, middle-aged Russian woman living in rural Blighty considers throwing it all in for a hunky fellow countryman in "The Season of Mists."

A married, middle-aged Russian woman living in rural Blighty considers throwing it all in for a hunky fellow countryman in “The Season of Mists.” Sophomore feature by Russian-born, Canada-based helmer Anna Tchernakova sustains a pleasantly low-key, Chekhovian mood throughout, appropriate for a tale of suppressed passion, but lacks punch and surprises. A few more fest dates are forecast before pic heads for a foggy future of limited release in Russia and ancillary.

Once an aspiring writer, Marina (soulful newcomer Marina Blake) has settled for a quiet life as a hairdresser in the U.K.’s Midlands, where she lives with her daughter from a previous relationship, Dasha (Alexandra-Maria Bryars), and good-hearted but dull mechanic husband Gregory (Ifan Huw Dafydd). A chance encounter with a traveling troupe of Russian classical musicians leads to an affair with violinist Sergey (Javier Bardem lookalike Sergey Chonishvilli), prompting Marina to consider what’s more important: love or stability. Script and thesping convince more in Russian than English (would-be “eccentric” Brit characters don’t help), but the pace picks up when the action moves briefly to Moscow. Tech credits are sturdy but not outstanding, although Dmitry Ermakov’s lensing enhances the mood.